Both vegans and vegetarians are plant-based diets and exclude meat, seafood and poultry from their diet. However, a vegan diet is different to a vegetarian diet as it also eliminates any food produced by animals such as eggs, milk, butter, honey, etc.
Some vegetarians avoid eggs and dairy products also but this diet is a bit more lenient compared to a vegan diet. It can be argued that vegetarianism is a diet and veganism is a lifestyle as many vegans eliminate all forms of animal products such as leather, fur, cosmetic products that have been tested on animals and so on. This is because of the cruelty animals experience in order to provide these types of food and products.
Both diets usually consist of beans, legumes, vegetables, nuts, grains and fruit, vegetarians may also include eggs and dairy products such as cheese, milk, butter, etc.
There are a lot of health benefits associated with these diets, for example, many say that a plant-based diet can protect you from heart disease, diabetes and reduce cholesterol.
However, vegetarians and vegans need to be sure they are getting all of the nutrients they need and may have to add supplements to their diet.
